EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS OF LIGHTNING SURGE VOLTAGE WITHSTAND OF DATA AND SIGNAL TRANSMISSION NETWORK COMPONENTS

Marek OBODA, Konrad SOBOLEWSKI, Dominik KRASOWSKI Warsaw University of Technology, Poland

Summary: Overvoltage protection of data and signal transmission networks (DSTN) for informatics, telecommunication and other applications is actually very important problem in electromagnetic compatibility. When designing and installing DSTN it is necessary to correlate the selection of overvoltage protection devices with the impulse withstand level of components used i.e.: twisted pair cables, connectors, adapters, data cards, etc. The manufacturers of such components usually do not give any information on their surge characteristics, which in some cases can be the weakest element of such a lines. The paper deals with experimental lightning withstand tests and their results of different kind of components made by different manufacturers, which are used for installation and construction of typical data transmission line. Keywords: Lightning surge withstand, data and signal lines components, EMC immunity. 1. Introduction When designing and selecting overvoltage protection measures of data and signal transmission networks (DSTNs) and their equipment it is not only important to install properly surge protective devices (SPDs) or screening the cables, but also to the impulse withstand characteristics of wide range commonly used devices and components for set up of this kind of network or system. Integral components are here multi wire stranded cables or coaxial cables as well different kind of accessories like connectors, plugs and pins, adapters and other devices. Manufacturers of electronic equipment for DSTN in European Union countries have to fulfil requirements of EMC Directive [1] and harmonized standards, which precisely describe the required lightning surge immunity levels of this kind of products and have to declare the conformity of their products with EMC Directive. But manufacturers of wide range of cables, components and accessories necessary for DSTN installation very rarely

provide information on lightning withstand level of this kind of equipment. The general description of structural cabling for DSTN is given in European and Polish standard PN-EN 501731:2004 [2]. In computer networks taking into account economical aspects for data transmission are used coaxial cables but four pairs stranded cables are preferable according to [2] when faster data transmission is required. Typical configuration of data transmission line constructed using stranded wire cable and coaxial cable is shown in Fig.1. a)

b)

Fig.1. Examples of data transmission line realization using: a) stranded wires cable, b) coaxial cable.

Direct and nearby cloud to ground lightning strikes are inducing in DSTN cabling overvoltages, which values depending on lines topology and configuration can reach form few to tens of kilovolts. It means that insulation of cabling and components is exposed to very high electrical stresses and may be punctured. If the insulation withstand level of DSTN components and devices is lower than the overvoltage amplitude it can cause failures of network performance and disturb its operation. The aim of described further experimental tests was to assess the surge withstand level of typical components used for DSTN set up and to indicate the elements, which surge withstand level is lowest.

2.

Description of tests and tested components

2.1 Methodology of surge voltage withstand tests Each of tested DSTN component was exposed to standard lightning voltage surges having shape 1,2/50 s with progressively increased amplitudes up to values causing electrical breakdown or puncture of insulation. Two separate impulse voltage generators were used to enable generate relatively low amplitude surges (up to 3 kV), while for coaxial cables test was necessary to use generator with much more higher output voltage amplitude (up to 100 kV). The voltage surge was recorded using digital oscilloscope Tektronix TDS-220, high voltage probe 1:100 or voltage divider (ratio 1:100) and PC with WaveStar software for data aquisition. Exemplary record of voltage generated when breakdown did not occur is shown in Fig. 2.

The samples of twisted pair cables had different kind of copper wires unscreened cable had stranded wire, while screened cable had the solid wire. The impulse voltage was applied to different wires of the same twisted pair marked with the same specified colours. The wire marked with specified homogenous colour was connected with high voltage impulse generator and wire marked with the same and white colour was grounded. To exclude surface discharges on the cable insulation the ends of twisted pair wires opposite to the voltage input were separate to the proper distance in the air. For network card with RJ45 connector the high voltage was applied to the one of the pins and the metallic chassis was grounded. In case of coaxial cable tests the high voltage was applied to the inner copper conductor while the outer screening braid was grounded. The same high voltage supply was done in case of network card with BNC. During the withstand tests of connectors they were connected with separated short segments of cables. The voltage surges were applied in this case to neighbouring pins (i.e. RJ45 connector) or between inner pin and earthed outer encapsulation.

2 kV

a)

Fig.2. Record of voltage surge without breakdown/puncture of insulation (1,2/50 s).

b)

The voltage surge withstand tests have been performed for typical elements used for data transmission lines in computer networks, realized using twisted multi-pair wires and single conductor coaxial cables It was tested: - two samples of twisted 4 pair screened and unscreened cable made by Molex company, ended with adequate female RJ 45 pin connector, - one sample of single conductor coaxial cable having characteristic impedance 50 and ended with male BNC joint, - one network card with RJ45 connector, - one network card with BNC c All tested samples of cables were 50 cm long. The circuits used for cable tests of are shown in Fig.4 and Fig. 5. Network cards used in measurements where a typical 10Mbits transmitters for PC computers made by 3Com. Both cards are shown in Fig. 3.

c)

Fig 4. Arrangement for surge withstand tests of: a) unscreened four twisted pair cable (UTP1), b) screened four twisted pair cable (STP2), c) single conductor coaxial cable.

a)

b)

Fig. 3 Network cards used in measurements: A with RJ45 connection, B- with BNC connection.

1 2

UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair. STP Shielded Twisted Pair.

c)

Type of conductor wire is influencing the design of RJ45 connectors. In standard [2] is specified the order of connection of individual twisted wires with male and female RJ-45 connectors. The tested RJ-45 connectors are shown in Fig.7.

d)

e)
Fig.7. View of male (left) and female (right) RJ-45 connector.

The method of data transmission using twisted pair cables and RJ-45 connectors is shown in Fig.8.

f)

Fig 5. Arrangement for surge withstand tests of connectors for data transmission line: a) for screened and unscreened male RJ-45, b) for screened and unscreened female RJ-45, c) for male BNC, d) for female BNC, e) for network card with RJ45, f) for network card with BNC.

Fig. 8. Method of data transmission when using twisted pair cable: receiving lines - Rx+, Rx-, transmitting lines - Tx+, Tx-

2.2 Description of tested components Four twisted pair cable Each twisted pair of conductors with PCV insulation creates symmetrical data transmission line, which might be capacitevely or inductively loaded. If twisted pair cable is screened usually with aluminium tape the signal transfer capacity increases by app. 50%. Each pair of twisted wires is marked with colours according to requirements of standard [2] green, blue, brown, and orange. Insulation of one twisted wire is in homogenous colour and second wire of the same pair is marked with the same colour and white straps. Usually twisted pair cables have one of two types of conductors: - solid copper wires for fixed installations, - copper stranded wires for mobile installations. The views of different type twisted pair cables cross section are shown in Fig.6. a) b)

Coaxial cable Single wire coaxial cable for DSTN has copper conductor and outer return conductor which creates copper or aluminium braided screen. The insulation between inner wire and braided screen is made usually from polyethylene, which electrical withstand depends on its thickness. From the other side this thickness and insulation dielectric constant decide on characteristic impedance of cable which for DSTN usually is 50 . The cable is covered with protective jacket made from PCV. This kind of cable is used for interconnections of terminals working LAN or WAN configuration assuring very high rate of date transmission speed up to 10 Mbps and is better than twisted pair cables protected against electromagnetic interference. Other applications are i.e. for signal transmission in cable TV or for measuring systems. In Fig.9 are shown tested male and female BNC connecters used for single conductor coaxial cables.

Fig. 6. View of twisted pair cable cross section: a) STP type cable, b) UTP type cable.

Fig.9. View of male (left) and female (right) BNC connectors.

3.

Results of surge voltage withstand tests

Results of surge voltage withstand tests of components of DSTN made using twisted pair cables, suitable for this line connectors and network cards are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Surge voltage withstand test results for twisted pair line components Tested component Four pairs twisted cable, unscreened Male RJ-45 connector, unscreened Female RJ-45 connector, unscreened Four pairs twisted cable, screened Male RJ-45 connector, screened Network card RJ45 Identification of twisted pair wires Orange orange and white Blue green and white Green blue and white Brown brown and white Blue Blue and white Brown green Green brown and white Brown and white blue and white Brown green and white Orange green andwhite Orange orange and white Orange orange and white Blue green and whits Green blue and white Brown brown and white Orange screen Breakdown voltage [kV] 4,5 5,0 5,0 4,5 2.3 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.5 4,8 4,8 4,6 4,7 25.0 Orange and white screen Blue screen Brown screen Average 4,75

Similarly, the withstand voltage of the same pair of twisted wires was much higher in case of screened cable than for unscreened four pairs twisted cable. The lowest value of withstand voltage was measured for network card input Results of surge voltage withstand tests for single conductor coaxial cable are shown in table 2.
Table 2. Results of surge voltage withstand test for coaxial cable line components. Tested component Male BNC Breakdown voltage [kV] 4,4 Average 4,8 5,8 4,4 4,3 Average 4,5 4,9 4,4 22,0 1,3 -

Female BNC Single conductor coaxial cable BNC network card

Average 2,5

Average 4,7

5,5 6,0 5,5 1,50

Average 5,7

During tests of male and female BNC connectors was observed breakdown between pin and grounded encapsulation of the BNC connector. The average values of surge breakdown voltages for male and female BNC connectors were similar. The breakdown voltage value for coaxial cable sample was much more higher than for BNC connectors and was close to that which was measured for screened twisted pair cable. In case of network card was opposite - the breakdown voltage value was for network card with BNC input app. 200V lover than in case of network card with RJ45. Exemplary record of breakdown voltage for BNC female connector is shown in fig.11.

During the tests of male and female RJ-45 connectors were observed surface discharges between pins. In case of screened male RJ-45 connector the distance between pin and grounded screen was bigger than for unscreened twisted cable resulting in app. twice bigger value of surge withstand voltage. Exemplary voltage record when breakdown of unscreened twisted pair cable insulation occurred is shown in Fig. 10.

4.88 kV
1.3 us

Fig. 11. Record of breakdown voltage for female BNC coaxial cable connector.

4.
2.29 kV

Conclusions

1.28 us

Fig. 10. Record of breakdown voltage for blue blue and white pair of twisted wires of unscreened cable.

Based on the withstand voltage test results it has been found that among typical components used for set up of data transmission line the lowest impulse withstand level have the connecting elements and the network card input connectors. For DSTN realized using twisted pair cables with RJ 45 the impulse withstand level is app. 50 % lower of that having single conductor BNC connectors. This particular elements are the weakest components of data transmission line for lightning caused

overvoltages especially for unscreened twisted pair cables. On the other hand the highest lightning surge withstand of this kind of line have coaxial cables. It should be mentioned that DSTN are endangered by nearby strikes lightning overvoltages, which can have in practice much more amplitude that lightning withstand level of different cables and caused puncture or breakdown of insulation also in case when DSTN are temporarily out of service i.e. protective switching off in case of thunderstorm presence. Bibliography [1] European Union EMC Directive UE 89/336/EEC [2] PN-EN 50173-1:2004: Information technology Generic cabling systems - Part 1: General requirements and office areas [3] PN-EN 61000-4-5: 1998. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-5: Testing and measurement techniques - Surge immunity test [4] PN-EN 55024:2000. Information technology equipment - Immunity characteristics - Limits and methods of measurement Acknowledgement The authors acknowledge to Polish State Committee for Scientific Research the contribution of this work financed as part of granted research project No. 4T0A00925 in years 2003 -2006.